What if
by Blue-butterfly16
Summary: What if Tristan had survived the battle and Isolde helped him flee the country? What would happen if Tristan falls in love with another and sees Isolde and Marke again? And if they had the chance would they get back together? R&R. Tristan/OC
1. Farewell

_Hey all!_

_Blue here! Wanted to try to write a Tristan and Isolde fanfic. I loved the movie, loved the story line but I hated the ending. So here is what I think what woudl've happend if Tristan had managed to flee the battle of the Irish and the Englishmen with the help of Isolde. But with one major difference, Isolde stays with Marke to help build the palace._

_Enjoy!_

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"Tristan get on the boat please!!" Isolde said as she hurried him to the water with the help of Marke's men fpushing the boat along with him.

"I can't leave you Isolde" he said looking at her

"Tristan please!" she looked at him "like I said to you before. I want tof know that you are alive somewhere thinking of me from time to time. I want to know that there is more to this life and I can't know that if they kill you"

"What about you?"

"My place is here with Marke, to help build the kingdom. To make it strong. I may be with Marke but my heart does belong to you. And hopefully in time you will find someone that you can call your own and love her like you have loved me"

"Tristan get out of here now before they find you!" one of Marke's men told him

"But I need to stay here and fight!" Tristan said

"No, you've done enough. Now go"

"Goodbye" he said simply as he got into the boat. Isolde helped him push the boat and watched him until he drifted away out from her sight. She returned back to the castle where she was put in a safe place.

Days passed, Tristan was still trying to get over that he and Isolde could never be together, he tried to run away to a secluded place just on the coast of England. He had reached a coast in his little boat. He pulled it onto shore and fell on the sand, knees bent. "ISOLDE!" He cried in anguish. He fell with his whole body onto the sand now. He was distraught and plus the exhaustion he collapsed, his long brown curly hair covered his eyes and face. From afar a girl saw what just had happened; she was reading her book on the sand. She got up and ran toward Tristan. She fell to her knees and took his face into her hands. His face covered in sand, she tilted her head and took a better look at him. She brushed his hair aside. She tilted her head to get a better look at him and smiled. Tristan's eyes fluttered a bit and his eyes opened. He immediately sat up. Tristan got in a little bit of a shock "Wh…h…who are you?" he asked her

"I should be asking you the same question" she replied. She had a mix of an Irish and English accent but the Irish in her stood out more.

"You're…Irish" he breathed out

"And you're English" she said in shock as she stood up. Tristan stood up too to get a better look at her. Her hair was really long, it went past her waist. She was only an inch smaller than he was and she had fair skin, a button nose, luscious lips and her eyes were deep dark brown. "You're a knight" she said as she looked at his armour and walked away. Tristan didn't know what had just happened but he followed her. She turned around and saw him "Can I help you with anything?"

"I need a place to stay"

"I don't think you can" she shook her head "not here…you can't"

"Wh…why not?"

"It's dangerous for an English man to come here…especially during the war…traitors get killed and I don't want it to happen to myself or my family….I don't want to be in that position…I'm sorry"

"Please" Tristan said looking into her eyes "I don't know where else to go"

The girl looked at him and sighed "Follow me" she walked ahead and then she stopped and looked at him "You look exhausted"

"Yes me lady…very" he nodded, he still was trying to catch his breath back

She stood there hesitating "Come on" she said as she put his arm around her. They began to walk. A few minutes later they had reached the cottage to where the girl had lived. From afar you could see a woman on the porch hanging up blankets fresh from being clean. "Mother!" she yelled. The woman ran toward them. Her little twin brother and sister ran up to her too

"Oh my…what do we have here?"

"Lea! Lea! Who is he? How did he get here?" her brother and sister was jumping around asking so many questions. Tristan looked at the twins and smiled

"He collapsed on shore, obviously been travelling for a while…he doesn't have anywhere to go. Please can he stay here?"

"Sure" she smiled. Then her father and older brother had walked into the conversation

"What do we have here then?" he was obviously English.

"I need a place to stay" Tristan said

"English" her father said in surprise "haven't heard that accent in a while" he chuckled "don't worry you can stay here." Her older brother and father looked at each other. "Anyone here is welcome" he said as he helped his daughter carry Tristan into the house.

"Yay!" the twins smiled.

It was a quaint home, small yet elegant. They took Tristan up to the room for him to rest. The girl exited the room followed by her mother and father.

"Let him rest for a bit my darling" her mother said to her "it was the right thing that you brought him here". She nodded and went back to the beach to continue her reading. As she was walking back she was thinking.

_'Why was he on a boat in the first place?'_ it was none the less playing on her mind for quite a bit.

It was sunset now and soon night was going to overcome the beach. She decided to read one more chapter and then head on into the house for dinner and to check on her guest. "He had entered the palace walls and stealthily made his way to the princess' window an-"

"And inch-by-inch he made his way up to her window, the thought of seeing the lady that he loved powered him to climb further" Tristan finished. The girl looked up at him "My mother used to read it to me when I was a child"

She smiled at him and closed her book "This is one of my favourite stories" she said as she placed the book on her lap.

"Mine too" he said as he sat next to her. As he did Tristan flinched and then he grabbed his stomach.

"Are you ok?" she looked at him

"I'm fine; the boating accident didn't really help my landing to shore"

"If you have injuries…you should be resting"

"I'm fine me lady…I assure you"

"Very well then" she nodded "if you insist"

"You were going to say something about that book" he said looking at the hard covered scarlet red book that was placed in the girls lap

"Oh...yes…I was going to say it is a very sad book…tragedy really but the relationship that these two had was amazing…it brings a lot of meaning to what lengths people do for love…or at least that's what I think it means"

"I never thought of it that way" Tristan said.

"So, your mother used to read this book to you when you were a child? What of your mother and father?"

"They were killed" he answered looking down at the sand

"By what?" she asked him

"Irish kindness" he said sarcastically. He knew it made her feel awkward.

"I'm sorry to hear that" she shook her head "really I am. I personally think that the waring between the two countries is absurd. I'm one to voice my opinion, but mother said it's not right for me to be saying things like this out loud. But peace is all we want and need. For the both of our countries, to stop the bloodshed"

"I couldn't agree more" he smiled at her "and what of your parents? You don't seem to have a strong Irish accent and your father is English am I right?"

"You're correct" she nodded "my father is English, my mother is Irish. He rescued her a long time ago in the time when people his age were feuding. She was supposed to be a slave, but he fell in love and well…he took her here and they got married"

"Irish and English. Seems absurd for the pairing of the two isn't it?"

"Not if it is for love and not for honour or duty" she looked at Tristan with that sparkle in her eye.

The wind was warm and relaxing, bits of his hair was flowing in the breeze and so was the girls next to him "I never got the chance to say thank you for taking me into your home"

"It was nothing good sir" she smiled at him

"And I forgot to ask you…what is your name me lady?" he bowed his head

"I think its best we don't bother with names" she shook her head

"But how can I thank you if I don't know your name?" he looked at her

"You just did, but if you insist. My name is Lea" she bowed her head too

"Tristan of Aragon" he said as he took her hand and kissed it

"It is very nice to meet you Tristan of Aragon, I hope that your stay here is pleasant" she said as she got up and began to walk "if you'll excuse me, I must go into the house and retire…as you can see night is approaching"

Tristan got up and followed her "How old are you me lady?"

"I am eighteen"

"You should be married at that age"

"I never liked the thought of me marrying for the sake of it…I want to marry for love not for anything else" she looked at Tristan "and you?"

"Nineteen"

"Married then?" she asked "surely there is a lass out there back in Briton that you call yours"

"No" he vigorously shook his head. The thought of the word 'marriage' had made him think of Isolde and Marke who married in order to keep peace between England and Ireland despite the war that was going on. Lea looked at him and saw the expression that had shown on his face.

"I can see that there is something I said that has offended you...I'm sorry Tristan forgive me" she said as she walked faster

"Lea" Tristan said as he ran up to her

"I am sorry if I have offended you my lord, you will never here such things from me again" she said as she stared at the sand while she walked

"It wasn't your fault Lea" he said looking at her while the two headed toward the house "I forgive you"

Lea looked at him and smiled "I didn't realise that my words would cause you grief"

"In your defence me lady, you didn't know what would cause me grief…it was merely an accident"

"Thank you" she bowed "for being understanding my lord"

"Lea" Tristan began "you don't have to call me that"

"You're a knight or conqueror…either way you do need some respect"

"I don't want to be treated differently to you…just call me Tristan"

"Ok…Tristan" Lea smiled. Tristan looked at her and chuckled and the two headed to the house. As the two entered the house, the walked into the dining room where her parents, her older brother and twin brother and sister were already seated at the dinner table ready to eat.

"We've been waiting for you Lea" her father said

"Forgive me father…I was…" she trailed off and then looked at Tristan "distracted"

"That's alright; as long as you were safe…anyway let's eat" her mother said grabbing her fork

"As delicious as the meal looks mother, I am going to have to pass…I am not really hungry…I just want to rest in my quarters" she climbed the stairs and left Tristan with her parents. Tristan wondered if she had a reason to leave him but then she came downstairs "Mother, father" Lea smiled "Tristan has some injuries that need attending to" she said as she climbed down the stairs "I'll look after him" she said as she took Tristan by the arm and took him up stairs. She took him into her bedroom and closed the door.

"Uhh Lea" he said getting a little uncomfortable

"Disrobe" she said as she leaned against the door

"What?" he asked in disbelief

"Disrobe" she repeated as she started to unbutton his top

"What are you doing?" he asked

"I'm tending to your wounds…what did you think I was doing?" she asked and lightly smiled

"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't realise-"

"Its ok…the bigger issue is to make sure that you're wounds are tended to and that you are cared for until you heal"

"Thank you" he smiled

"Its nothing" she shook her head "just lay down"

Tristan lied down with his shirt off. Lea looked at him, she saw his body and she couldn't help but smile on the inside.

"Now…what do we have here" she said sitting beside him and looking at his stomach area. "Does it hurt here?" she asked as she touched his stomach.

"No" he shook his head

"Here?"

"No" Tristan shook his head. Lea moved her hand to just above his belly-button and pressed down. Tristan flinched

"I guess that's the spot" she said rubbing it a bit. He kept flinching and breathing hard "Tristan I know it's painful but it will get better soon…I promise" she smiled at him

Tristan looked at her "I trust you"

"I'm glad you do" she smiled "now you wait here…I need to grab something downstairs" she left the room. She went downstairs to where her parents were still eating.

"Back already? That was a quick rest" her father joked "where's that strapping young lad that brought into the house?"

"I'm tending to his wounds…I need to grab some bandages, some oil and some herbs" she said as she rummaged through the shelves

"He seems like a nice guy" her mother smiled

"Mother…please" Lea said as she rolled her eyes. She knew that her mother would bring the subject up about her and her relationships with guys.

"He's tall" one of the twins said

"Yeah he is" Lea chuckled as she grabbed the oil and bandages

"When can we see him again?" the other

"Tell you what Christian and Christina…maybe later when he's better" Lea said as she patted their heads

"What's his name?" Christina asked

"Tristan" Lea smiled as she said his name

"Hey! That rhymes with my name…Tristan…Christian!" Christian smiled

"Hmm yes it does" Lea smiled at her little brother "I better go upstairs…Tristan is in a lot of pain right now" she climbed the stairs. She had reached her room and took a deep breath and knocked on the door "Tristan…can I come in?"

"Uhh…yes me lady" he called out. Lea opened the door and Tristan was still the same just as she left him

"Hey" she smiled as she sat on his bed. "Ok…I have some oil here, and then some herbs just to ease the pain for you and a bandage to tighten up the muscle…how does that sound to you?"

"Alright" he just nodded

"Ok" Lea said as she poured the oil in his injured area. "Tristan I'm going to press hard but it'll only be for a little while" she said as she pushed down. Tristan breathed hard and tensed up "I'm really sorry that this hurts" he started massaging the area and slowly Tristan eased up and looked into her eyes "Better?"

"Much me lady" he smiled at her "thank you"

"Good" Lea said she unravelled the bandage and put it around him "can you please sit up?" Tristan sat up and Lea wrapped it around him, their faces were really close to each other, while Lea was wrapping the bandage around, Tristan would look at her, and she too would catch a glimpse of him "there you go" she smiled. Tristan lied down and Lea covered him with a blanket. "Sleep well Tristan" she said heading to the door.

"Wait" Tristan said sitting up with great difficulty "Lea…wait"

Lea turned the knob but turned around "Yes?"

"Where will you sleep?" he asked "this is your room isn't it?"

"Yes" she nodded "but you need this room more than I do"

"I don't want you to sacrifice your room for me"

"I insist…Tristan…you're injured and you need to rest" she said "Goodnight" she went outside and closed the door

"Goodnight…me lady" Tristan trailed off

Lea had exited and headed downstairs to the dining room "So where's Tristan?" her mother asked

"He's resting…he was in a lot of pain…hopefully not as much anymore"

"Is he sleeping?" Christina asked

"Yes" Lea nodded

"Aww" her brother and sister said in union "we wanted to play"

"I'm sure when he gets better he'll play with the both of you"

"Where are you going to sleep?" her mother asked

"I don't know…I thought it would be necessary if he had my room to heal"

"But darling there are no more rooms in the house…why don't you go up there and share a room with him"

"What?" Lea asked

"You heard mother…don't make me repeat it…there is a spare mattress you can take it and sleep there…I don't trust the twins in the same room with you…they might paint your face or something" her older brother joked

"Knowing you Darrien…its most likely that you will do that to me rather than the twins" she laughed

"She does have a valid statement Darrien" Christina said

"Yep…she is…we don't play tricks on Lea…" Christian trailed off and then smiled angelically "…only you"

"Why you little-" Darrien almost said

"Well…I'm going to bed now…I'll just grab the mattress now and drag it into my room" Lea interrupted as she climbed the stairs

"Darrien…go and help out your sister" her mother ordered

"Nah…she can do it" Darrien said as he spooned a large amount of potatoes in his mouth

"Aww thank you so much for being such a gentleman Darrien" Lea rolled her eyes in sarcasm

"I am too a gentleman!" he called up

"Whatever" she called from upstairs. She headed toward the basement where they keep their extra mattresses. She dragged the mattress toward her bedroom and while she was, she heard her brother snickering at her. She reached her bedroom door, not surprisingly this was her first time that she was nervous ever going in her room. "Ok…if I just close my eyes and sneak in, he won't even notice that I'm in there" she turned the knob slowly and moved backwards pulling the mattress toward her. She was about to take another step but then there was a creak in the floorboards "How many times have I asked Darrien to fix that squeaky floorboard?" she said to herself as she closed the door. Tristan sat up

"Lea?"

"Uhh...Hi Tristan" she smiled "I'm just going to sleep on the floor here, there aren't anymore rooms in the house" she said as she pushed the mattress down next to Tristan's bed.

"Did you bring a blanket with you?"

"Yes I did" Lea nodded "thank you for considering me." She lied down and put the blanket over her head "Goodnight"

"Lea" Tristan said as he leaned on his side to face her

"Mmm?" she asked still underneath her blankets

"I feel guilty that this is your room and yet you're sleeping on the floor while I'm sleeping on your bed"

"Like I said Tristan it's not a big deal" she said uncovering herself from the blankets "it's just a place to sleep…there's nothing to feel guilty about such a matter…it's…insignificant" she smiled at him to assure that he didn't have to feel guilty

"Are you sure you're ok with me sleeping in your bed?"

"Yes I'm sure" Lea nodded "just save your energy and sleep" she said as she turned her back on him. Tristan lied on his back and stared at the ceiling

"Lea"

"Mmm?" she asked

"Thanks for everything" he smiled

"Heh" she chuckled "you're welcome" she said as she closed her eyes. Tristan did the same and while he did he reminisced on the events that had just happened and the new friend that he had made. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was Isolde's face. He forced those thoughts out of his head and closed his thoughts and eyes and tried to get to bed.

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_Weird I know to have the movie Tristan and Isolde put in misc.movies. I would've thought that there would've been heaps of fanfics about this but wow, I guess I was wrong._

_Till the next chapter!_

_Blue Butterfly_


	2. Afternoon on the Town

**I am so sorry that I didn't update on this story! I was too busy updating my TWILIGHT stories. If you do like my stories, please read those and tell me what you think!**

**Now I have time to write on this story which I have so many ideas for! So it will be continuous updating from now on **

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Tristan had awoken up, he yawned but then immediately flinched in pain forgetting the injury that he had from the previous day. He could hear the sounds of the ocean hitting the shore, and the seagulls squawking in the distance. He turned to his side expecting to see the girl that had rescued him; Lea. But instead, he turned to see an empty bed with all the sheets folded neatly. He got up slowly and headed outside of Lea's room. He didn't know where he was going exactly, he was almost unconscious when they took him up to Lea's room, but it was clear to him to follow the stairs heading down. As each step made him descend, he started hearing the noises that you would expect to hear in the home. The sound of dishes clattering and the chatter of children.

"Christian! Christina! Remember that we have a guest upstairs that is still asleep!" Lea's voice was heard coming from the kitchen. He smiled to himself as he made his way to where her voice was heard. Sure enough, there she was. And at the kitchen table were her younger twin siblings: Christian and Christina. He set one foot into the kitchen and immediately the twins looked up and him. He stood there in place awkwardly wondering what he did wrong. But all they did was smile. "Ok, you two have gone quiet...something must be wrong" Lea said as she approached her brother and sister. "Now what are we looking at?" she said as she approached them. She looked up and she saw Tristan standing in the doorway smiling at her "Tristan"

"Me Lady" he bowed his head "goodmorning"

"Afternoon" she smiled. He turned to look outside and sure enough there was the sun in the middle of the azure blue sky. "You looked so peaceful and you needed your rest, so I gathered you wanted to sleep a little longer"

"Thank you" he smiled as he appraoched the table.

"Please sit" she nodded. He did as he was told and sat at the head of the table. Christian and Christina smiled at him and continued to play with their paper and ink. "You must be hungry from all that has happened sir, I will make you something"

"That isn't necessary me lady" he shook his head

"You came upon the shore, famished. You didn't eat dinner because you almost passed out and in pain...and now you're saying it isn't necessary that I don't make you anything to eat? That's a tad absurd" said as she walked over to the stove and started to light a fire to start to cook.

"I woke this morning and the house was very quiet Lea" he watched her.

"I thought Christian and Christina woke you, they can get very noisy. And because you're here, they were sure to have a field day" she chuckled "I was surprised to hear that you're not complaining about the noise that these two make"

"No" he shook my head "its been a while since I've heard the laugher of children. I didn't get to do that much when I was a child"

"Oh" Lea turned to look at him "I'm sorry to hear that Tristan"

"It's nothing Lea" he shook his head, he didn't want to make her awkward, because he knew that she felt bad already about what he had just said. Even if he told her not to think anything of it. "So...tell me, where is everyone?"

"Mum is tending to the farm, picking vegetables and whatnot at the back. And Darrien and father are...training" she looked at him

"Training? Is your brother going to fight?"

"No, no" she shook her head and smiled at him "Just in general, just in case people from Briton come here and..." she trailed off

"Oh...for protection"

"Yes" she nodded

"I am from Briton Lea, if you had any mind or if you had thought about the war...you would've left me on that beach to die. Why did you save me?"

"Looked like you were about to from what I could see" she answered "I know you are from Briton - but so is my father. And why did I change my mind about taking you to our place?" she looked at him again "Because...I...sense something in you. If that makes sense. I know that you're not going to hurt me or my family. I...trust you I guess. Am I wrong in saying that?" Tristan smiled at her answer

"No me lady, you're not"

"Well, that's the end of that" she nodded and smiled "I don't suppose you prefer to eat a certain type of food?"

"No me lady. Its enough that you're letting me stay here, and you are tending to my every needs...it doesn't matter what you cook me?"

"Alright, eggs it is" Lea shrugged and cracked too eggs onto the hot surface that she was heating up. It didn't take too long to cook, and sooner than he knew it Lea placed the eggs in front of him.

"Thank you" he looked up at her in appreciation.

"Not a problem" she said as she headed outside of the house. The twins were still at the table writing and drawing "Christian and Christina..."

"Yes?" they both answered in unison as they looked up at her.

"Don't do anything that's going to get you into trouble - and be kind to Tristan ok?"

"Ok" the both nodded

"Love you both"

"Love you back" they smiled at her. She smiled and continued to head outside.

"Lea" Tristan stood up from the table and ran to her. She stopped at the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Where are you going?" he asked her

"Into town to get things for the house..." she looked down and then up at him "why?"

"Do you go into town alone alot?"

"Darrien used to take me there, but since there are still rebels around, dad has asked him to protect himself and learn how to fight in combat. So somtimes during the day when it is pure light and when people can see me, I go. Its less dangerous for me that way"

Tristan didn't like the thought that there were still rebels out loose in the land somwhere. The war between the two nations had ended but there were still people out there trying to claim and return to the way that things were - the fighting and the bloodshed. It wasn't something that stood well with him. "I will not let you wander into town on your own"

"Tristan I've been doing this for a while now, many times on my own" her light brown eyes had sparkled in the light "trust me when I say I'll be fine?"

"I trust you" he nodded "but the rebels that are out there and the chance that they are _still _out there...I don't trust them" he shook his head "I will take you into town if you'll have me"

"They will know that you are not from around here" Lea looked at him in surprise "its best that you stay here and don't do anything rash"

"You call me rash for wanting me to take you to the town?" he chuckled "why would you say such a thing?"

"I say such a thing because its dangerous for an Englishman to be wandering around here"

"I don't need you to look out for me Lea" he said as he took a step closer to her.

"I don't want you to get killed here" she answered "do you realise what would happen if they find you? They'll kill you"

"I can handle that" I answered "I have fought many Lea, you've seen it from the battle scars that my body is covered in. And as many as the scars that I have - I have survived. I can handle whatever it is this life throws at me"

"I don't want you take that chance Tristan" she looked up at him "you are just in the process of healing those wounds that I have tended to and you're willing to risk getting more injuries when you set foot out on the town with me"

"I'm willing to risk getting more injuries if it meant making sure you're safe when you go into the main village"

"Tristan"

"Lea" he looked at her deep into her eyes "I want to go with you"

She didn't know what to answer at this point. She had thought that he'd take her answer with grace but he didn't back down. He fought for what he wanted. He was stubborn in that he wanted to take her into the main village, even if it mean him risking his own life. Her heart was beating fast, she knew that something inside her wanted him to come into the town with her, but at the same time her better judgement was telling her that in order to make sure that he lives, he has to stay at the house. This he didn't want to do, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Ok" she breathed.

He smiled and took her hand in to his and kissed the top of her hand again "Thank you me Lady"

"Lea" she corrected again "but there is one thing that you have to do for me and you can't say no.."

"What's that?"

"Eat your breakfast first"

"What's done is done" he said as he ran to the table and started gulping down the eggs. They didn't burn his throat surprisingly. With the amount of time he was speaking to Lea about letting him come with her to the village was enough time to cool it down. The twins looked up at him weridly but continued to keep doing what they were doing and not being distracted by him. Once he had finished, he ran up to Lea who was waiting by the doorway amazed at what she had just seen.

"Wow, if you have insentive, one certainly does finish their tasks a whole lot faster"

He smiled proudly "Come on lets go" he said as he took a step forward. Lea put her arm in the way in attempts to stop him. "What?" he looked at her in confusion.

"I think it would be safe...for you to go upstairs and get a shirt or something to cover youself. We can't have you walking around pratically half naked and a bandage around your waist...people will get talking"

"I don't mind it" he smiled at her

"I do" she smiled back "please? You can grab a shirt from Darrien's room. He won't mind. I put some clothes on his bed"

He did as he was told and ran upstairs. Lea had forgotten to tell him where the exact location was of Darrien's room, but he decided to take a guess and assume that his room was exactly opposite to Lea's room. He opened the door and walked in, he was right. There at the foot of Darrien's bed were folded clothes that were placed neatly. He took the top shirt that was on the pile because he didn't want to mess anything up for Darrien and make Lea fold clothes again. He quickly put the shirt on and headed outside where Lea was waiting at the front of their house staring into the horizon. From the entrance of the house, you could see the shore and the ocean. It was clear blue. "Me lady" he called to her attention. She had turned around "does this suit?"

"It suits fine" she bowed her head and smiled.

"So we are ready to go then?" he said as he approached her

"Yes, but we must let my mother and father know where I am going. They'll start to worry if they return to the house and I'm not there, they'll think the worst"

"I understand" he nodded. She turned and headed to the back of the house. Tristan followed her and there was her mother planting, picking and checking the vegetables that were in their garden. From where they stood, you could see their horses running around in their pens.

"Mother" Lea called as she ran to the wooden barracade that separated them from the outside of the garden to inside the garden.

"Lea" her mother looked up and smiled "and Tristan"

"Goodafternoon madam" Tristan bowed his head. He was slightly surprised that her mother knew his name.

"So, where are you headed off to then? Into town?"

"Yes mother" Lea nodded "just getting a few things for the house, is there anything you need me to get?"

"Surprise me" her mother smiled "is Tristan coming along with you into town today?"

"Yes" Lea nodded "after my many attempts to tell him no, he still insists that he come with me"

"Well...be careful Tristan"

"I will, thank you" he bowed his head

"Now all we have to do now is go to father and Darrien" Lea said as they headed back on the path that they took to get behind the house. They walked into a clear grass clearing, Tristan immediately saw the shapes of two people fighting against each other "there they are" she breathed. Tristan just smiled at her and followed her to where she was going. Darrien and her father were practising in combat.

"Father!" Lea called out

"Oh, good afternoon Lea" he stopped just as he was about to swing his sword toward Darrien who was defending "oh, and goodafternoon to you Tristan. Sleep well?"

"Yes I did sir, thank you" Tristan bowed his head again

"Headed into town are ya?" Darrien asked

"Yes" she nodded "is there anything I can get you?"

"No, not at this moment in time Lea, but thank you for asking"

"Not a problem, we'll be on our way"

"So Tristan is escorting you on the trip to town is he?" Darrien asked

"Yes sir, and I will make sure that no harm will come to her" Tristan nodded. Lea looked at him and then looked at her brother and father.

"Very good" her father smiled "be safe"

"We will" Lea nodded as she turned her heel and started to walk

"So do you know where we're headed?"

"Of course not Tristan, I've only walked this path a million times" she smiled at him. He smiled at her humour.

"Is it a long walk?"

"Depends what your definition is of long" she looked at him. She really didn't know what to say to Tristan, mainly because she was scared of his past, where he had come from and what he was trained to do - and what he fought for. But at the same time, she trusted him, even when she knew that the unity of the two countries had just been done and there were still people out there in the two nations that had bad blood for each other - it didn't matter to her. She didn't know why but she trusted him.

"So tell me me lady..." Tristan began

"Please don't call me 'me lady' good sir"

"I'll stop calling you 'me lady' if you stop calling me 'good sir'" he smiled back

"But you are a man of honour and from what I can tell from the way you talk and the way you walk...you are a man of high stature, you deserve some respect in one way or another"

"Me lady, I just want you to call me Tristan ok?"

"Ok Tristan" she smiled at him "and you call me Lea, ok?"

"Ok Lea, me lady" he bowed his head. Lea looked up at him and tried to say something but nothing would emerge out of her mouth so all she could do was smile. He smiled back at her. They couldn't really say much to each other, because they were still in the process of getting to know each other and there was that awkwardness of wanting to know more about the person but at the same time, scared to ask questions. Their walk into town was in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence, it was more enjoying your self with the company of another silence. When Lea would walk into town with Darrien, all they'd do was bicker and quarrell about whatever siblings would quarrell about; everything.

"Well, here we are" Lea said as they entered the gates of the town.

"Goodafternoon Lea" the guard at the gate smile "how are we today? How is your family?"

"They are going well Aiden, and yourself? How is your family?"

"They're going well, Siobhan sends her love and well wishes to your family. She can't leave the house now, she's ballooned greatly these past few weeks" he chuckled

"Which probably explains why I haven't seen her out and about around the town - congratulations Aiden"

"Thank you" he nodded, he then looked at Tristan "and who is this then Lea?"

Lea looked up at Tristan, he looked at her "This is Tristan"

"Tristan, I don't think I've seen him around before, we're do you hail from?" he asked him. Lea started to panick, if he opens his mouth and answers he is dead.

"From the North Coast" Tristan answered putting on a fake Irish accent. He tried to make his sound like Lea's so if he said anything that was English, it would be an acception because Lea speaks like that too. Lea couldn't help but slightly chuckle at his accent that he was putting on.

"Ohhhh" Aiden winked at Lea "I see"

"See what?" Lea looked at him

"He is your new suitor" Aiden smiled

"Aiden" Lea rolled her eyes "must you be so interested in the happening's on in my life?"

"No interested, more like involved. I am one of your best friends after all"

"Yes and so is Siobhan" Lea looked at him "you don't see her acting like that"

"Because Siobhan ain't here"

Lea shook her head at his answer. Tristan found it humouring to see the two act toward each other. Especially Lea and her reactions to what Aiden was saying. "If she were, she would've struck you on the head by now for being so annoying"

"Well she aint" he poked her tongue out at her "what happened to that other suitor that you had?"

"What other suitor...there is no other suitor" Lea looked at him

"Hayden...ring a bell?"

"Yes they ring a bell" she sighed monotonously "what about him?"

"Hasn't he been your suitor since forever?"

"No" Lea shook her head "he assumes that he's been my suitor since forever, but to my knowledge there haven't been any attempts as such"

"Oh" Aiden nodded

"Aiden...can we go in now? I'm kind of in a hurry to buy stuff for Darrien, and you know how he gets"

"Yes that brother of yours" he chuckled "enter. Oh and it was nice meeting you Tristan"

"It was nice meeting you too" he nodded. They had entered in the gate and when it was a safe distance, they could talk to each other. "That wasn't so bad"

"Aiden could talk for hours if you give him a subject, he was willing to talk about Hayden and I for crying out loud"

"Me lady, may I ask...who is this Hayden?"

"Hayden is someone in my past that is worth forgetting about" Lea looked at him

"Did he mean something to you?"

"Once" she answered "but not anymore" she shook her head

"He hurt you?"

"Yeah" she nodded "...once"

"Well I won't" he looked at her

"I know you won't" she shook her head.

"That means alot, me lady" he bowed his head

"Again with the 'my lady'" she smiled at him

"I can't help it" he shrugged. The two walked by a flower stand, and Tristan so swiftly grabbed a handful of baby's breath. Lea didn't see him take them, but she would've said something if she did. They continued to walk from stall-to-stall as Lea would by little bits and pieces for the house, but also buying food to take home to make into dinner later. Tristan had noticed that Lea wasn't saying anything after what had happened with the mention of Hayden's name and the affect on her. "Lea..."

"Yes?" she looked up at him as they walked.

"Did I say something that bothered you?"

"No" she shook her head "what makes you think that?"

"Hayden" he answered "after we spoke of him, you didn't say anything else"

"Tristan, yes he hurt me long ago, but that doesn't matter to me anymore. You must know that" she looked up at him "you didn't do anything. And I know you won't hurt me. Just that sometimes when I'm quiet...there are a million thoughts running through my head"

"What's the main thought that's running through your head?"

"Would it scare you say that there is only one thing that is running through my head at this moment?" she asked him

"And what would that be me lady?"

"Well...its.." she began

"Lea" a voice had sounded coming from behind them. Tristan and Lea turned around to see a blonde haired, blue-eyed male that was standing before the two of them.

"Hayden" Lea said in surprise "I thought you had moved away to the North Coast, never to return again to our town"

"I decided to come back" he said as he approached the two of them. Tristan had eased closer to Lea's side, he had felt the sudden urge to protect her from him. He hurt her once, and it made Tristan all the more reason to think that if he had the chance that he would do it again. And Tristan was not going to let that happen, not to Lea.

"Reason being?" Lea asked

"I missed this place, and the people in it" he smiled at her. Lea looked at Tristan to which Hayden then paid attention to the person that was standing on the side of her "And..." he glared "...who might you be?"

"This is Tristan" Lea had answered, if Tristan had put on his fake Irish accent; Hayden would bombard him with questions "a friend of mine"

"A friend of yours?" Hayden raised his eyebrow

"Am I not allowed to have friends, Hayden?" Lea looked at him

"Of course you are" Hayden chuckled and then glared at Tristan. There was an awkward silence after Hayden's chuckling, mainly because they all knew that he didn't mean what he had said to Lea. Tristan didn't like Hayden, the look of him, the way he acted and especially the way that Hayden had stared him down the moment he laid his eyes on him.

"Well we must be off, Lea and I have many things to attend to" Tristan said as he took Lea's hand in his and intertwined his fingers with hers. Lea looked up at Tristan and then looked at Hayden. Hayden noticed Tristans little manouvre and decided to make a mental note in his head that he was going to keep an eye on these to. Something had thwarted Hayden's jealousy the moment Tristan's hands touched Lea's.

"Of course, better get to it" Hayden smiled. He approached Lea and kissed her on the cheek "I will be seeing you around a lot more Lea, now that I'm here"

"I look forward to it" Lea nodded. Tristan and her began to walk away, leaving Hayden to stand where they left him "That was awkward"

"He likes me" Tristan smiled sarcastically

"Since we are talking in sarcasm, yes, you are the apple of his eye" Lea laughed along with him. She noticed that their hands were still together "Tristan" Lea looked down at their hands.

"Yes, me lady?" he looked at her

"We can let go now, Hayden's not here"

"I'm quite comfortable like this me lady" he said as he smiled at her.

"Tristan..." she began. She didn't know what to say, Lea had this feeling that she didn't know what to do when it came to Tristan, he intrigued her - and that scared her...alot. Her heart was beating fast, but what scared her the most was...she didn't want to let go of his hand too.


	3. Challenged

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_Disclaimer:_

**_I do not own Tristan and Isolde, this is just a fanfic that I had conjured when I saw the ending of the movie. This is only what I would want to happen if the events of the end of the story didn't happen. I hope you enjoy this and read and review._****I'd like to thank the following people who have favourited and reviews this story! Thank you so much and my apologies for posting this chapter up so late!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed:  
SnowFairy24**

"Yes me lady?" he looked at her, she looked back at him. They both had exchanged a silence that seemed personal, too personal for onlookers to even glance at them.

"Nothing" she smiled "thank you, for somehow rescuing me from that awkward situation"

"Couldn't have had it any other way me lady" he bowed his head "I do what I do best"

"Well, whatever you did. It worked" she smiled at him. As they walked away, Lea could still sense that there were a pair of eyes still watching her, even if they were a far distance away from Hayden.

"So did he just expect you to swoon over him?" he looked at Lea's reaction.

"I didn't. I think I've done him some good" she nodded as the two continued to walk "and I think he learnt something about me today"

"And what would that be, me lady?" he looked at her

"To not expect anything from me" she answered with a smile. Tristan smiled back at her but at the same time he began to fiddle around with the baby's breath that he had taken from the stalls earlier and began weaving it into a bracelet. He had a cloak over him so Lea couldn't really see what he was doing.

"So me Lady, since we are getting to know each other, what is your favourite colour?"

"That's a bit of a common question to ask though, isn't it?"

"For future references" he smiled at her

"It depends what mood I am in at the time, good sir" Lea looked at him "but the main colours that are in my favour is blue, green, purple, white…it just depends what mood I am in"

"Thank you, me lady" Tristan bowed his head.

"What for?"

"For…everything"

"And thank you for…what you did for me back there back there" Lea smiled and looked at him again "I don't know what I would have done if I were on my own and Hayden had approached me"

"It is my job to rescue a damsel in distress, me lady" he looked at her "and I couldn't imagine anybody rescuing you, except for me"

Lea blushed. "Ah Leah! Leaving already? That was fast" Aiden's voice had caught her off of her slight trance that was happening. She immediately let go of Tristan's hand.

"Yes Aiden, nothing too much to buy for me today" Lea looked at him.

"Did you see Hayden by the way? Talk about coincidence! We were just talking about him when you entered"

"And you're jumping for joy about that Aiden? Remember what he was like when we were younger and when we were growing up"

"Point taken" he nodded "but, you need to remember that I do hear that he still does fancy you"

"I doubt that" she answered.

"Well I think he does" Aiden nodded "he asked if you were here when he entered the gates"

"And you told him 'yes'?" Lea looked at him

"Of course I did, I wasn't gonna lie to the man would I?"

"Well lucky for him, Tristan was there to rescue me"

"Ooh" Aiden smiled.

"What now Aiden? You know I get worried when I see you smile like that. It's like a foretelling of bad things to come"

Tristan smiled at her reaction and held her hand again. Aiden picked up on his action immediately "Seems to me there's going to be a fight between Tristan and Hayden for your heart"

"Aiden, you sometimes need to think reality, not fantasy"

"Siobhan would be saying the exact same thing" he nodded

"Well Siobhan isn't here" Lea poked her tongue out at him.

"Really mature"

"Thank you" she smiled at him.

"Well…" Aiden looked at Tristan's hand and what he was doing "what you got there Tristan?"

Lea immediately looked down to what he was doing, but he hid it beneath his cloak. "Can't hide it now, Lea saw that slight moment of hesitation"

"Thank you Aiden" she rolled her eyes and looked at me "what is it Tristan?"

Tristan took the bracelet-wreath that was made out of baby's breath under his cloak and showed it to her. "I was going to surprise you when we came home" he said as he held it up so she could see it properly. He took Lea's hand and placed the bracelet on it.

"Tristan, it's beautiful" she said as she slid it on her slender wrist "thank you"

"You're welcome me lady" he said as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Tristan, you're not from the Irish coast are you?" Aiden asked.

"Aiden…" Lea began. She just realised that Tristan wasn't speaking in his accent; he was speaking in his normal accent – English. "Please…"

"I'm not going to say anything Lea" he nodded "you're my friend, and plus – the war is over and he seems like a nice guy"

"Thank you" Lea said as she hugged Aiden.

"Thank you" Tristan nodded as well.

"I'll be seeing you both around town then" Aiden nodded "but, when you come back, Lea…I want you to admit to me that he's your suitor and that you've already made the decision to be with him"

"You are insane Aiden, you know that?"

"That's the reason why Siobhan is with me. I keep life interesting" he chuckled "it was great meeting you Tristan, look after her will ya?"

"Of course" he nodded. The two had exited the gates and headed back to Lea's house.

"You really shouldn't listen to Aiden, he's slightly insane. According to my theories"

"Well, I did promise that I would look after you – I take that that very seriously me lady"

"You really shouldn't Tristan. I have a tendency for trouble to follow me wherever I step"

"All the more reason for me to protect you" he said as he held her hand again.

"Thank you" she bowed her head and smiled. The two followed the path back to Lea's house.

"So you're the only people that live out this far?" Tristan asked.

"No" she shook her head "there are some people that live scattered in the farm areas behind the main village – like us. But I think we've got the best area, we've got a beautiful seaside view. I think it's perfect" she sighed.

"Yes, you are" Tristan answered.

"What?" she looked at him.

"Nothing" he sighed. As the two were walking they saw people in the distance heading toward their house.

"I wonder who that is" Lea tilted her head in confusion.

"You don't know them?"

"I can't make out who they are from the distance"

"Well, we shall make haste and walk faster in order to find out who it is"

"Let's go" Lea said as she began to pick up the pace with their strides.

"Does this mean that I have to put on my fake Irish accent?" he asked her.

She giggled at his answer. "Unfortunately, yes" she nodded "we don't know who these people are, so it's best that we be safe and keep up the illusion that you are Irish"

"Better safe than sorry" he nodded

"Exactly" she smiled at him. As they approached closer-and-closer the voices that they could hear grew louder-and-louder. "I know those voices…" she said as they were only meters away from the house.

"And…" Tristan began

"I don't think you want to know who I know it is" she shook her head. They approached the front door of the house. Lea took a deep breath. Her hand reached for the door knob, and at the same time Tristan reached for the handle as well. Their hands touched, they looked at each other. Lea immediately looked away and removed her hand from the handle because she could feel the heat radiate off of her face because of the intense blushing. Tristan smiled lightly and opened the door for her.

"My lady" he said as he stood out of the way to let her in.

"Thank you" she smiled as she walked in, still with the butterflies inside her stomach from what had just happened. Tristan followed in after her, and there in plain sight at the dinner table was Hayden and what appeared to be his father.

"Lea" Hayden's father stood up and approached her.

"Mr. McNair" she said in surprise "how are you?"

"I'm well thank you love, look at you, beautiful and beautiful each day" he hugged her. He then noticed Tristan who was standing behind Lea. "Oh, and who is this then?"

"Oh, this is Tristan" she smiled "a close friend of mine"

"Ah, very good" he nodded and then paid his attention on Tristan "and where are you from me lad?"

"The north Coast Sir" Tristan bowed his head. Lea looked at her parents, they looked surprised at Tristan's sudden change of accent, but at the same time they understood why he did so.

"And how do you know Lea?" Hayden asked.

"Heard about her beauty all the way from here to the North Coast, had to come see it for myself" Tristan smiled at her, she looked back at him and blushed.

"Flattery" she chuckled "like I said before, he's a good friend"

"So, how long you staying here?" Hayden asked. Lea slightly glared at him.

"As long as my welcome allows it" Tristan answered.

"Which is convenient because he's always welcome here" Lea answered.

"So he'll be here during the celebration then?" Hayden raised his eyebrow.

"What celebration?" Lea and Tristan said at the same time.

"The celebration that the warring between Ireland and Briton is over" Mr. McNair answered.

"Oh yes, of course he will be" Lea nodded.

"Oh excellent. It will be good to get to know you better" Hayden smiled, Lea knew he didn't really mean what he said, he was only putting on a façade in front of his father, to which Tristan knew as well.

"Yes" Tristan nodded "very"

"Well, we better head upstairs, Tristan and I have much to discuss, and plus that I'm heading off to bed early this evening. It was a long day" Lea headed toward the stairs.

"No dinner for you and Tristan?" Lea's mother called out.

"Maybe for supper we'll come down" Lea nodded as she continued up the stairs. Tristan followed her before Hayden jumped up in his way.

"I look forward to seeing you at the celebration" he stuck his hand out for Tristan to shake his hand.

"Yeah" Tristan nodded and shook his hand, Hayden pulled him close and whispered into his ear.

"There's something about you that's not right; Tristan. And I intend to find out what it is. And when I do…you'll be regretting the day you every set foot here and ever breathed a word to Lea"

Tristan glared at him "I'd like to see you try"

"Tristan" Lea called from the top of the stairs "you coming?"

"Coming me lady" he nodded as he went up stairs. As he reached the top where Lea was waiting for him, she couldn't help but feel curious as to what Hayden had said to him. She saw their little exchange and wanted to know what was going on.

"What was that?" she looked at him.

"What was with what?" Tristan whispered, his accent had gone back to its original state.

"With that thing that I saw with you and Hayden, everything ok?"

"Yeah" Tristan lied "just had a quick exchange of words" he had to lie, for the means of protecting her for the time being. In time he'd tell her the truth, but for now with Hayden's threat lingering on him, he began to contemplate if he should leave…even though every inch of him didn't want to leave; not without Lea at least.

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**Please read and review! I'm so sorry its taken so long to post this chapter up!!**

Peace and Love. Blue xox

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	4. Tristan & Isolde

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_Disclaimer:_

**_I do not own Tristan and Isolde, this is just a fanfic that I had conjured when I saw the ending of the movie. This is only what I would want to happen if the events of the end of the story didn't happen. I hope you enjoy this and read and review._****I'd like to thank the following people who have favourited and reviews this story! Thank you so much and my apologies for posting this chapter up so late!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed:  
Prettyatmidnight**

**And thanks to those who also favourited:  
Prettyatmidnight  
Fox da Newsie**

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"If I know Hayden…I think it wasn't just quick, more so 'kind'" she looked at him "he probably threatened you did he not?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"To protect him from me? Yes" Lea nodded.

"So you know my intentions are clear me lady" he bowed his head.

"I assure you that they are clear as the crystal waters of the sea" Lea nodded "but I know Hayden, and I know what happens when he sees me with other men, he threatens them, which is partially the reason why I've remained without many male friends, apart from Aiden because he's married"

"So he's basically scared all the men you've ever gotten close to"

"To put it in that way, yes" Lea nodded "he'll probably scare you away like he did the others" she looked at the floor, she didn't want to admit that she wanted Tristan to stay, but it was evident by her reaction to what she had said and Tristan had immediately caught on.

"I assure you me lady" Tristan said as he took her hands "he will not scare me away"

"Really?" she looked at him.

"Not even the king of Ireland himself will be able to do so"

"Thank you" she smiled as she let go of his hands and headed into the bedroom. Tristan followed after her. She was setting up his bed.

"Lea you don't have to do that" he said as he approached her "let me do it for you"

"No Tristan, you're my guest I can manage"

"You've done enough for me already" he said as he tried to grab the sheets off of her.

"Tristan" she sighed exasperatedly as she turned around to face him, at the same time he tried to grab the sheets again but he fell on top of her. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Lea could speak. "Uh…Tristan"

"Yes me lady?" he smiled at her.

"Would be please be so kind" she hinted

"Oh I'm sorry" he as he stood up and straightened up his clothes "my apologies me lady"

"That's ok Tristan" she blushed "I should continue making your bed" she said as she turned around.

"You don't have to me Lady, please allow me to do this" he approached her again.

"Will it make you stop thinking that you have to earn your stay here?" she raised her eyebrow and smiled slightly.

"If that's what it takes to make you let me do that than, yes" he nodded.

"Alright" she nodded as she let the sheets go and stepped aside "it's all yours"

"Thank you" he bowed his head. Lea smiled and went over to her bed where she did her own sheets; she figured she'd have to do them quick otherwise Tristan would offer to help again. "So, how long will Hayden and his father be here?" he asked.

"Not a clue" Lea shrugged "depends how long Mr. McNair decides to stay I guess…he and dad are good friends and they drink and talk about the 'old days' of course. So you can imagine that will be taking some time"

"Yes" he nodded his head "are you comfortable with Hayden being in your house?"

"Not really" she shook her head "you want to avoid him, but you can't because your parents don't know what has happened between the two of us in the past…and dad would prefer it if I got along with Hayden"

"Why's that?"

"Because like I said before, Hayden's dad and my father are really good friends and I can't make that situation awkward if I ignore Mr. McNair's son. The repercussions of that will be catastrophic"

"How so?"

"Because Hayden will complain to his father, and then Mr. McNair will talk to my father about me talking to Hayden. My father of course would reason and explain that if I don't want to talk to him, I won't. This would then cause a rift between the two of them – I can't do that to father. He and Mr. McNair have been really good friends for a really long time and I don't want to be the reason why they wouldn't talk" Lea explained as she sat on her bed.

"You've put a lot of thought into this haven't you me lady?" Tristan chuckled at her.

"I'm very thoughtful of the consequences of my actions"

"Then, what did you think of when you rescued me?" he said as he sat next to her.

"I didn't think of anything" she looked at him.

"Didn't you think of the consequences of what would happen if you took me into your home?"

"I didn't think it through Tristan. Whatever the consequence was, I was happy for it to happen…" she looked away.

"Why?"

"Can we not talk about it?" she looked at him. Lea suddenly put her guards up, she knew that she had something for him, but she didn't want to admit it to herself and she feared that she just may have let it slip to him.

"I'm sorry me lady" he nodded "have I crossed the line?"

"No" she shook her head "it's not that Tristan"

"Did I offend you me Lady, because if I did I won't speak"

"Tristan, no…it's…I didn't think about it because I sensed something in you, and I knew you wouldn't hurt me. And if there were some consequences in helping you out, so be it. As long as you're alive"

"Thanks Lea" he said as he took her hand into his "I really appreciate that"

"It's…not a problem. Tristan" she smiled and looked up at him. At this point both of their hearts were beating really really fast. They started to lean in slowly, their lips were about to touch, when there was a sudden knock on the door. They broke apart almost immediately and looked at the door.

"Lea" a voice called

"It's Darrien" Lea looked at Tristan. Tristan suddenly jumped up and sat on his bed where Lea sat on hers.

"Are you decent?" Darrien called out "I don't want to walk in and see you naked"

"How can I be naked if Tristan is in the room?"

"…I don't know" Darrien replied "look, can I come in now"

"Yes" Lea rolled her eyes. The door opened and there was Darrien poking his head through the gap of the door.

"Mother sent me up here to ask if you and Tristan were hungry"

"Um, I'm fine. Not really hungry" she shook her head "what about you Tristan?"

"I'm fine thank you" he bowed his head.

"No, thank _you_" Darrien bowed his head "because then I wouldn't have to climb upstairs carrying food to you and Tristan because mother was worried about you not eating. That is one less thing I have to do tonight"

"Yay Darrien" Lea rolled her eyes.

"And why aren't you downstairs anyway?"

"I have a guest, I can't leave Tristan up here, and if he chooses to stay here, he is welcome to and I will be with him"

"So that's how you got out of being around Hayden and Mr. McNair" Darrien smiled "I gotta get me a guest the next time they come around"

"Yes Darrien" Lea nodded at him "you got much planned for the rest of the evening?"

"Not really" he shook his head "I'll just be in my room, or by fathers will, I'll be sitting and drinking with Mr. McNair, father and Hayden"

"Are they still there?"

"You know them Lea; they won't leave until they are completely satisfied with their liquor intake"

"Yes I know" she nodded "let's hope they leave soon"

"You and me both" he said as he headed outside "anything you need?"

"No Darrien, thank you" Lea bowed her head.

"You Tristan?" Darrien asked.

"No thank you"

"Very well" he said as he closed the door. Once the door close Lea and Tristan were left alone again. The moment Darrien left, the ambience in the room was awkward. Darrien had interrupted one of those moments you can't get back once it is interrupted. Lea looked at the floorboards, Tristan looked at the ceiling.

"Lea" he said softly

"Yes?" she looked up at him.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine" she nodded "Why?"

"You just went all quiet after Darrien left"

"I know" she sighed "I'm not really good with dealing with awkward situations" she blushed slightly.

"Why?" Tristan asked. He wanted to continue where they left off, but he could see that she was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"Can we just leave it?" Lea looked at him shyly

"Ok Lea" he nodded

"Thank you" she smiled. She didn't really want to leave it alone. She wanted the kiss to happen so badly, but there was something inside her that thought that she would lose him, one way or another. It was awkwardly silent again, she could tell that Tristan was upset "Tristan…its not…it's…" she began, he looked up at her. She took another deep breath "I just don't know" she shook her head.

"Be honest with me" he looked at her as he dropped down to her level.

"I'm scared that if I'm too close with you…"

"I'll…"

"Go away" she looked down at the floor.

"Lea" he said as he took his hands in hers "I'm not going anywhere, not unless you want me to"

"I don't want you to go anywhere Tristan" she shook her head

"Than I will stay here, as long as you want me to be"

"Thank you" she smiled "how's your stomach by the way?"

"Better" he smiled "thank you"

Lea then began to think about how his injuries came to be, then her curiosity started to kick in. "Tristan…can I ask you something?"

"Sure" he nodded

"How did you get these injuries? And how did you manage to come to my shore of all places?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me that question" he smiled at her.

"Oh?" she looked at him "if you don't want to tell me, its ok I completely understand"

"No Lea, its ok" he shook his head "I'd figure that you'd eventually ask me, and its better I tell you sooner rather than later"

"Ok" she nodded.

"I was a knight in my clan during the war between Briton and Ireland. I was sent to rescue people from my clan that were taken and made to be slaves by your king. We had managed to free the people and of course there was a battle that took place between our soldiers and the kings soldiers"

"Yes" Lea nodded "please continue Tristan"

"I battled with a warrior named Marlot, and I was struck with his sword which was laced with poison. This would kill a man if the poison had pierced the skin and go into the blood, but it only scratched me, and I was put into a death like sleep. My men thought I was dead and they gave me a knight funeral at sea"

Lea nodded, she didn't want to say anything, and she just wanted him to continue his story.

"My vessel that I was placed upon washed me up onto another part of the Irish shore. There a woman and her maid came to my help; they took me in and nursed me to health until I was well again. Despite the war that was happening, they took me in and hid me in a hut where no one could find me"

"And what was the name of this girl?" Lea looked at him.

He looked down at the floor and then looked at Lea "Her name was Isolde"

"Isolde" Lea repeated.

"And…we were in love" he said slowly, Lea looked up at him, she didn't say anything because her heart was beating too fast. "But there were knight scouring the coast where I was being nursed and she helped me flee back to Briton where I could not be killed"

"I see" Lea nodded

"And then upon arrival, Marke, my mentor, the leader of the clan of where I am from. There was news around all the clans that your king had planned a joust to fight and win the hand of his daughter. It was one fighter from each clan, and I decided to fight on Marke's behalf seeing as he couldn't"

"What happened?"

"I won the battle, and the princess' hand on behalf of Marke. But the princess that I had won the hand for Marke, turned out to be Isolde, the woman that had nursed me back to health" Tristan continued, he looked at Lea's face, she was surprised. "She and Marke got married, but we would sneak around so we could be together, it was forbidden"

"Oh" she whispered.

"Then one day, we were attacked by your King and a traitor from our clan, Wictred. It was a bloody battle, but in the middle of all the bloodshed, I was asked to leave by Marke and Isolde"

"Why?" she was reduced to one word answers. Tristan studied her body language, she was guarded.

"They said that I had done enough for the clan, and that if I was ever going to survive this battle I would have to leave. I don't know who is left standing and who is fallen from where I hail. They put me on a boat, and I let the boat take it course, I was exhausted from the battle and I drifted to sleep and my boat crashed onto the shore, and that's where you found me" he smiled slightly "you saved me Lea and I will always be grateful" he looked at her. She didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Lea…" he called her, she looked at him "please say something…"

"Do you still…love her?" she said softly.

"What was that?"

"Do you still love Isolde?" she asked again.

"A part of me always will, but if we were meant to be together we would be, but that isn't the case. She has Marke and there is a life out there for me other than Isolde"

"Than what's the case?" she whispered.

"This is" he said as he took Lea's hands into his "this is the case"

"Tristan…" Lea began, there was a part of her that doubted him, but that part was insignificant to the part that trusted him.

"My life is meant to be with you here Lea, there's a reason why my ship crashed onto your shore"

"You really think that?" she asked.

"I know it" he said as he kissed the top of her right hand "I'm not going to leave you Lea"

She looked at him and smiled "Thank you" she then looked outside, it was dark and her body was kicking in telling her to go to sleep "well, its best we sleep now" she said as she let go of his hands and got into her blankets. Tristan was still down at her level, he was staring at her "Yes Tristan?" she looked up at him. He knelt down, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight Lea"

"Goodnight Tristan" she blushed. He smiled got up and went to bed. This was the first time, in a long time that Tristan would go to bed without having thought of Isolde, he was too busy thinking about Lea.

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